


The worst idea

by Ilyasviel



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Allura (Voltron) Lives, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bad Ideas, Declarations Of Love, Feels, First Kiss, Friendship, M/M, Post-Canon, Secrets, Silly Boys, all the feels
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-23
Updated: 2020-06-23
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:54:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,458
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24875737
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ilyasviel/pseuds/Ilyasviel
Summary: After the final battle, once all the wounds had been healed and peace is beginning to take form, the Paladins have to deal with a new danger: Keith is leaving them, this time for real, and Lance can't deal with it.And so he takes the matter on his own hands and hides Shiro in a room while he forces the truth out of Keith.What can go wrong?
Relationships: Keith/Shiro (Voltron)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 39





	The worst idea

**Author's Note:**

> I've been sitting on this fic since march >_< this lockdown is drowning my muses for real T_T
> 
> But I like it well enough as it is, I'm sure it has a tone of grammar errors, but I can't find any more, hope you can enjoy the story even with them on it. 
> 
> As always, the fic is not betaed and english is not my first language, be nice with my sorry ass xD
> 
> ENJOY IT!!!

"Lance, I don't think this is a good idea." Shiro says when Lance pushes him inside the room.

"A good idea?" The younger Paladin pushes Shiro even harder until he has him against the wall beside the door. "You know what an awful idea is? Letting Keith go without even trying to understand why he leaves." With a huff, Lance crosses his arms, giving Shiro a scolding look before rolling his eyes in the most dramatic way possible. "You two will be the death of me. I survived a fucking intergalactic war to die from the stupidity of my best men. Unbelievable!" Shiro has the decency of looking distressed. "Now do all of us a favour and stay here."

Shiro sighs defeatedly. "I still believe this is your worst idea ever. But you are right, I just stopped asking myself why he would want to leave now that we are finally in peace. Maybe knowing why will help me to deal with it."

Lance bites his tongue to stop himself before spilling his mind to his dense friend. But then he sees Shiro's fidgeting with the hem of his uniform, the only telltale of his nervousness, and Lance can't stay mad at him. "You know I will not ask this from you if I didn't know both of you need to have that conversation, but neither is ready to start it. So let me be the little spark that ignites the fire. You just stay here, listen, and when you had enough, you can step into the room, and I will run before Keith kills me, deal?"

The light on Shiro's arm intensifies for a second, giving away how much the idea is making his heart jump, but in the end, he can only nod and watch intently how the door closes behind Lance, who is giving him a double thumbs up.

Turning around, Lance takes a moment to close his eyes and just breathe, trying to calm his own nerves. This idea can explode in so many wrong directions… He can only hope his best friends finally have that chat they never seem to find the words to start. All the team, Lions included, is more than sure they are hopelessly in love with each other, but they are stuck in that friendship that will leave them with a broken heart and a blank space on their sides. 

Before he can keep dwelling around the topic, the door to the communal area opens, and Keith's head sneaks inside, looking around for him and giving Lance a little smile when he finds him waiting. "Hey there."

"Keith! Glad you made it. I was afraid you will forget and leave without having a little chat with your right hand."

Keith steps inside the room, chuckling softly, the soft purple light of his Marmoran suit contrasting with the pale glow of Atlas' lighting, "Don't be a moron. You know I would never leave without talking with you."

Lance motions him to one of the couches near the room where Shiro is waiting, wanting to be as close as possible to him, even if he suspects that Atlas will be helping him and showing Shiro the security cams footage. Sitting on the armrest of it, Lance pats the cushion near him. Keith shrugs and lies down, but on the other side of the couch, his back resting on the armrest and facing Lance. 'Ok, friendship quicksands, here I come.' With a sigh, he puts his hands on the pockets of his jacket, the same one he has used in all those long months (years in fact) in space. He needs the comfort of it, knowing he has shared so many memories with Keith while wearing it. It makes him sad to see Keith already wearing the Marmoran suit, but he is supposed to leave in a few hours if Shiro is not able to stop him. With that idea in mind, he swallows his nerves and forces his tongue to move. "I still can't believe you are leaving us. Again."

"Lance, we had this conversation every single night since I took my decision, can't you respect it?"

"You know me. I'm that selfish, and I'm not happy with the idea of losing you for an indefinite amount of time. I spent just a few months without you, and I'm still recovering from it. So excuse me if I need to know the exact reason behind your running away from Earth."

Keith exhales loudly, his head falling to the back of the couch. "We've talked about it, millions of times. I just--"

"Don't." Lance's mouth is a disapproving line, eyes boring into Keith's. "I'm not buying your excuse of humanitarian work. We know all the worlds need help, but Earth too, and the Atlas can move around much more quickly and efficiently than any little Galra ship. Try selling me another lie today."

"Lance--" Keith sounds beaten down by Lance's words.

"I'm not pushing you into the shame train, Keith. I just want to know the real reason behind your escapade. I've spent too many hours in close quarters with you to not know when you are trying to sell a lie. Remember how I was the only one who noticed when you overworked yourself to half death in training? Or how the pressure got under your skin until you exploded and crumbled under it? This is just the same, you can try to hide behind this serene façade, but it will never work, not with me."

A little growl escapes Keith's control, and for a moment, Lance fears his friend will just stand up and run away. But then, all the fight leaves Keith, his body sinking into the couch while he closes his eyes. "Not sure if I like this new McClain. You were easier to fool before--"

They didn't need to say the words aloud, both having shared tons of sleepless hours talking about what happened when Shiro disappeared. Lance knows it, Keith's pain has carved itself on his chest during those long months of searching and fighting. But Shiro doesn't, and so he says aloud what they never talked aloud since the first time Keith's wall cracked. "Zarkon and Shiro." He knows Keith's eyes are fixed in him before raising his head to face him. "We can't keep having conversations without talking, my man. Some things need to be said aloud."

"And some things are better left in the past. What happened, happened. We can't change it."

The tone in Keith's voice is making Lance's skin crawl. It's been a while since he has been on the other end of his commanding tone. Not that Lance is ready to walk away from this battle, the prize is too important to not fight for it. "It's not in the past if it dictates your future."

The words make Keith fall deeper into the soft cushions. If he didn't know better, he would swear someone has punched him in the chest. He can't breathe properly, the meaning behind those simple words enough to make his last defences crumble. "I can't stay."

Lance sees the pain so clearly written on his best friend's eyes, his own watering with it. "You can't really believe you can run away from this."

"I'm not running away, I'm giving him space and the chance to be happy." 

With a sigh, Lance kneels in front of Keith, resting a hand on his shoulder. "What makes you believe he will be happier without you around?"

Keith shakes his head, long bangs falling over his eyes and hiding the deep pain showing on them, but not before Lance has a glimpse of it. "Maybe I'm the selfish one this time. Perhaps it is me who needs to be away." When Lance moves the hand from his shoulder to Keith's chin and forces him to look at him, both had to fight against themselves to stop the tears from falling. "I can't stay, Lance. I just-- I can't."

"Help me understand, please. Let me help if I can."

"There's nothing you can do. I've been living under Shiro's shadow for too long, letting his light guide me through my own darkness. But now I have to see this light shine over other people and I can't take it. I'm not strong enough, Lance. I'm not ready to stay here and watch him be happy without me. It will make both of us miserable. Besides, I'm not like the rest of you. I don't have roots here, never had. My roots were travelling inside him from one side of the universe to the other, and now I'm not ready to see this connexion severed by someone claiming him as I never could. I prefer to lose everything now, and maybe with time and distance, it will hurt less."

Lance is opening his mouth to comfort him when the unmistakable sound of a door opening makes Keith jump. Through the hand still in his face, Lance feels the full-body tremor when he sees Shiro standing on the doorframe near the couch. Panic shows in his eyes as nothing Lance has seen in all the fights they had. And he wasn't ready for the way Keith pushes him away to run for the door. Luckily, Atlas is, and the red light blinks on every door around them. When Keith notices it, he punches the door hard enough to mark the strong metal.

For long seconds, neither of them move. Lance is too ashamed of himself for bringing so much pain to his friend while Keith is trembling with his hands closed in fists. And Shiro… Shiro is even worse. His eyes are glued to Keith, human hand raised as if he wanted to stop him from going away, a sad frown painted in his face. But after another uncomfortable minute of silence, Lance has enough. He stands from the ground and walks to Shiro, lowering the hand he has still midair. He didn't need to say a word. The simple gesture and breaking the direct vision of Keith standing at the door seems to be enough to break Shiro's inner turmoil. Taking a deep breath, Shiro nods at him before stepping away from the door, leaving Lance the room for himself, and an exit through the kitchen area. With a pat on Shiro's shoulder, Lance leaves them alone and sends his prayers to all the gods around the galaxies to help them.

Shiro is moving slowly closer to Keith, not from behind, but from one side, where he can see him coming, the same way you will move closer to a scared animal. And if the way Keith is still trembling and clenching his hands is a signal to go by, is exactly what he is feeling. When he is at arms reach, Shiro stops, the light of his Altean arm fluctuating with the rapid beat of his heart. "I should start with an 'I'm sorry', but I'm sure you will punch me in the face if I do." When Keith didn't even blink at the words, Shiro sighs before continuing. "And I will deserve it. That was an awful idea, and I should have been the better man and said no to Lance, but he made a resounding plea. And you know what it was? That I'm a coward. I handled monsters and warriors on the arena, fought barehanded against Zarkon and Sendak, but facing you about why you wanted to leave was the frightenest thing I had ever encountered. I feared--" He covers his face with his big Altean hand, fingers massaging his temples. "I still didn't know what I feared, I just can't make myself stand in front of you and ask you to stay with me. Maybe I wasn't ready to hear you say you just wanted to leave, that you believe you will be happier out there. Not because I didn't want you to be happy, but because I feared to hear from your mouth that you can be happy without me, that you don't need me anymore." 

Keith is still facing the wall, tension making him tremble and long hair covering his face from Shiro. The Captain wants to step closer and hug him, as he has done so many times before, but with what has transpired in the last few minutes, he has to be careful before Keith pulls up his guard again and closes his heart from the world. The energy coming from Keith is one Shiro hasn't felt in a long time, and he is not happy with being the reason for that return. With a sigh, he moves closer to the wall instead, resting his back against it and sliding down until he is sitting on the floor, bent legs supporting his arms. "Keith, don't shut me down, please. Talk to me."

"I have nothing more to say, Shiro. You have already listened more than I was willing to share, so excuse me if I'm not in the mood for a chat right now."

Sendak's punches had hurt less than Keith's words and more importantly, the flat tone he used to deliver them is enough to show Shiro that he has wounded his best friend in the worst way possible. "I can spend the rest of my days telling you how sorry I am, and I know it will never be enough. I've betrayed your trust and intruded in a conversation I wasn't supposed to be involved. But here we are." When Keith only closes his fist tighter, Shiro lets his head hit the wall with a soft thud, focusing his gaze into the yellow glow of the ceiling lights. "If you are not ready to talk, can you listen?"

The sound of Keith sliding down the wall to join Shiro on the ground preludes his words, "Your ship is not giving me a lot of options, Captain."

"Yeah, sorry. Atlas can be a little overprotective with me, and she knows how much you mean to me. I didn't ask her to close to doors, but I'm glad she did it." When Keith didn't answer him, Shiro takes a deep breath and gets ready to spill his soul out and see his life change for good or bad. "When we found each other-- damn, it seems it has been in another life..." Keith gives him a soft hum of agreement, which makes him more resolute in keeping talking. "You were lost in your own world, fighting against the odds to be the incredible person you are. And I, well, I was fighting to live, which was more than I expected when I was diagnosed. I found in you a friend, even in your younger days, when your temper got the best of you every other day. And with the passing of the years, that friendship just grew to something special and life-changing. Then Kerberos happened. And I'm not talking about what transpired on that distant moon, but what happened here, in this very base. My life span was uncertain, my ability to perform what I loved the most have an expiration day. And do you know who the only ones who supported my dreams were? The Holts and you. Sam never pitied me for my condition, just wanted me to thrive in whichever way I wanted, as much as Colleen and Matt. But you, you put so much faith in me, believing in me when I failed to do it. Not even when I finally confided in you about my sickness-- your faith never faltered."

"I told you hundreds of times. Your sickness didn't define who you are. You were destined for greatness, and time has proved me right."

The hardness in Keith's voice has softened a bit, not so much, but enough to let Shiro know that this little chat is not a lost battle. "Maybe. But I will not be where I am right now without you. You raised me when the whole universe was pushing me down, shouldered me when I faltered. You said your roots travelled inside me, do you know why? Because you live here." Shiro points to his heart, tapping his chest before closing the hand in a fist. "You inserted yourself there so many years ago, planting a seed that has been growing inside me since then. Every day I spend with you nurtured it, and when the Galra took me and I found myself fighting for my life daily, it just bloomed. You were the reason I fought for. Not for my life or the universe's sake, just for the chance to spend another day by your side."

Keith hides his face between his bent legs, hugging his knees with both arms. "Don't play with me, Shiro."

"I never lied to you, Keith, I'm not planning to start now." When Keith didn't move, Shiro moves a trembling hand to him, reaching for his hunched shoulder. "Hey, look at me."

A barely noticeable shake of his head accompanies the soft 'No' that escapes Keith's control.

Shiro's heart breaks a little with that whispered word. But now that the truth is finally on the open, he will finish what he has started. Sliding closer to him, Shiro leans on Keith, sensing the way his body is trembling. "Did you know that I can remember everything my clon did? His memories are mixed with mine, sometimes is like a dream you can't remember correctly, but others are clear as if I was watching them in a recording. And do you know which one is the clearest? The cloning facility. I have to witness you fought me, listening to words said with my voice that I would never say. I never told you about it, and you never asked either, but I remember everything until the moment you cut down my arm and broke the connection with Haggar. When I woke up in this body, I stayed with you for a few days, and then left Black in a hurry. Did you ever ask yourself why? The memories came back to me slowly, and when the one from the fight hit me, I felt like dying. I remember you saying the words I dreamed so many nights to hear, just to be crushed by the 'You are like a brother to me'. That's why I left. That's the reason I distanced myself from you and the rest of the team. I needed time to stop looking at you and wanting what I couldn't have."

Keith is trembling like a leaf, his breath coming ragged when he dares to speak. "Shiro--"

"Please, let me finish." Keith sighs softly, but the way he is now leaning closer to Shiro is giving his heart wings. "We travelled for weeks, and every time we stop to rest the Lions in some distant moon or planet, and I look into your eyes, the words keep echoing in my brain, making me feel miserable and lost. And when we reached Earth and found it upside down, with Galran invaders everywhere, I just threw myself into my commanding role to bury my pain and insecurities under it. But we made it, against all the odds, we won. And then you put the last nail in the coffin of my heart saying you will leave to join the Blades. Saying I was heartbroken is an understatement. But I can't find the courage to ask you why because I just thought you really wanted to leave, that you didn't need anything more from me, from Earth, and you want to be free from me at last."

"As if that is even possible." Keith has raised his head from his hiding spot, shiny eyes looking directly into Shiro's soul.

Shiro's heart implodes inside his chest. He raises his Altean arm to tuck some of Keith's hair behind his ear, the soft caress making both gasps. "As possible as me not wanting you beside me for the rest of my days."

A soft smile grows in Keith's face while the first tear slides down his face. "We are a pair of idiots."

"Probably, but you are my perfect strong and hardheaded idiot." Shiro is now cupping Keith's face, his big thumb brushing away the happy tears falling from his eyes. "Am I forgiven for spying on you?"

Keith leans into Shiro's hand, closing his eyes in bliss before answering. "Not yet, but I'm bribable. Maybe a kiss for every minute I've spent pinning for you?"

Shiro closes the distance until they are breathing the same air. "I have a counteroffer. I will kiss you for every second I've been thinking of you in a very unbrotherly way. And I can promise that we will be kissing a lot for the rest of our lives." 

"Sounds like a good offer." 

By the time Shiro closes the distance and seals their lips in a soft kiss, they are smiling like idiots. And a second later, they break apart and start laughing, foreheads touching. "I love you, Keith."

"And I love you too, Shiro. More than I can put into words." Shiro kisses him again, this time with more intent, even if their lips are still turned up in a silly smile. 

The sound of a door opening makes them break apart, only to find Lance's head sticking out from the doorframe, worry clearly written on his face. "Allura asks if we need to put an alarm in our room to prevent Keith from killing me in my sleep."

"I'm still mad at you, and you will pay for it in your bachelor's party, don't even doubt about it." Keith is trying to look angry, but his lips keep twitching with the need to keep smiling. "Now come here, little schemer, so we can give you a hug."

Lance slides inside the room slowly, scratching the back of his head in his usual shy move. "Maybe you will need to stand up for that, because--" Pidge storms inside the room and runs directly to them, jumping and giving them barely enough time to catch her between them. "Oh well, no need to warn you about them, then." One by one, the rest of the Paladins enter the room, sitting or kneeling around them on the ground until the full team is surrounding them and squeezing them in a group hug. They are chuckling and sobbing, with Pidge just squealing with pure happiness, Hunk crying as only he knows how, and Allura planting a soft kiss on Shiro's cheek. 

Keith pinches Lance's arm before pulling him closer in a half hug. "Thank you, Lance."

A big grin grows on Lance's face, erasing the little worried frown that has lived there since he left the room. "Anything for my best man, Keith. I took the liberty of calling your mom and tell her you need some time to decide what to do." Keith punches him in the ribs with enough force to make him yelp. "Hey! Don't mark my beautiful skin, that's Allura's job!" 

The Princess laughs where she is resting against Shiro, looking happier than when they won the war and came back victorious and alive. "I'll kiss the pain away later, my love. You've been naughty, and Keith has all the rights to punish you."

"But it worked! You can't be mad at me when you finally had the man of your dreams in your arms, right?"

Another punch, accompanied by another yelp makes the team break in laughter. "Oh, I totally can. But I'm a magnanimous leader, and I will forgive you... eventually."

Lance sits back and crosses his arms, blowing up his bangs with an angry frown. "Great. Now I will spend the rest of my life looking over my shoulder for a crazy half-galran warrior ready to kick my ass."

Shiro pulls Keith closer now that Pidge has left their laps, kissing his temple lovingly. "I'm sure your Princess will protect you, Lance."

"I will." Allura raises a finger to Shiro and puts a stern tone into her voice. "And you, young man, if you ever hurt him again, you will have the wrath of an Altean princess to deal with."

Keith eyes water again, looking to Allura, who is now looking at him with a knowing smile. "I'm sure he won't."

Matt's head pops at the door, the raised brows going higher when he sees Shiro's arm around Keith's shoulders and the way they are leaning against each other. "Atlas made me come here with an emergency code, and I found you all celebrating without me? I'd be mad with you all if I wasn't so happy. About time!" Shiro and Keith can't fight against the little chuckle escaping their lips. Matt moves closer and winks at them before sitting crosslegged behind his sister. "Glad you finally took your heads from your asses and talked about the big fat elephant in the room. It's been torture for all of us watching you pin for each other and don't say a word."

"Don't be a moron, Matt." Pidge elbows him, making him stop talking. "Better late than never, right?"

Keith gives her a wink before turning his face and kissing Shiro's cheek. "Time brings everything to those who wait."

"And better things come to those who initiate." Shiro cups Keith's face again and kisses him, making the group around them explode in a mix of aws and puking noises. 

They are grinning to each other when Shiro pulls apart, watching how Allura is pulling his friends away from them and to the door. "Let's give them some space. They have a lot to talk about."

The last thing they hear before the door closes behind their team is Lance and Matt joking about 'talking'. Keith is chuckling when Shiro leaves his spot beside him to kneel in front of him, raising both hands to cup his face. "We really have a lot to talk, but I'm more willing to start paying my debt right now and talk later. Sounds like a plan?"

Keith pushes him until Shiro falls to the ground and he throws himself over him, leaning half over him, half on the ground. "That's why you are the best strategist on this side of the galaxy, Shirogane."

"And you are the sassiest blade I ever meet, Kogane. Now come here and let me begin with my arduous and demanding punishment." When Keith leans closer, the weight of the past hour leaves their shoulders. After so many words and emotions and tense moments, they are just enjoying it, soft lips sliding softly against each other. That kiss tastes like the first one of the rest of their lives. 

  
  
  
  



End file.
